April 28th, 2021.

The following is a note from me, the author, not an entry to the story or the events in it. Keep this in mind.

I wanted to make an update relating to this story, its current state, and what plans I have for myself going further, getting back into the scene. So, here we are.

It's been over a year since Mirror was published, and during that year I set into the world The Plaza of Yesteryear, the first story chronologically within a series I plan to keep writing until we have all reached the conclusion together. With the recent announcement of Splatoon 3, the state of my well being, and the kind of writer I am, it wouldn't be too much to say that this is going to take some time, yet it'll be a fun time, one that'll hopefully be worth it.

For smaller updates, I've updated my profile a good bit. I also changed the summary for this story to not be a quote, but actually, a summary.

Currently, I'm working on a short-story to warm up my writing for more content to be releasing, including updates for The Plaza of Yesteryear. Although, a rewrite of this story entirely, or new chapters finishing what I started, isn't entirely out of the question.

Speaking of which, The Plaza of Yesteryear is also on AO3, and it's been there since release. So, if you like that platform instead, I'll be using it for the rest of my stories. Also, I'll be pushing out Mirror on AO3 when I feel the time is appropriate, and that another piece of this puzzle is ready.

I've updated the first chapter of Disregard with an improved note, informing people of the hiatus and old chapters in a much neater fashion. For anyone wondering about an actual new chapter, well, you're in some sort of luck. I wrote most of "Naps, Radio, Rinse, Repeat" before quarantine, and when that whole fiasco hit, so did the progress on the chapter. In general, it wasn't anything spectacular or anything, no "dramatic improvement" over the last, but hopefully it suffices. If you want the "full" thing, send me a PM. For now, here's an excerpt from the now-scrapped Chapter 4.

Although, before I hand it to Alex, I also wish to mention one last thing.

Thank you. All of you. Such a simple place has been quite the place to be.

I'm sure plenty who've known me have noticed some positive change in my mood.

I wouldn't have it any different.

An excerpt from Chapter 4: Naps, Radio, Rinse, Repeat (04/17/20)

It's late. No light is coming from anywhere. Amber put on a buzzing sound on the radio and I got up rather quickly. Shuffling on nothing, just forcing my body to be awake rather than dead asleep on this dusty wall. Third day, whew. Something's wrong here.

Amber started speaking. I think she had a crew of some sorts. I don't even know what time it is. I could barely even hear her, my brain wasn't working, ringing in my ears turning into audible words, as I tried to stand up with this much fatigue. It must be early. Real early. My eyes don't want to deal with it. I just want to leave.

Up.. up.. and...

Down. I fell to the ground and a decent thump was made. I was kind of there, but not really. In that same safe spot near the desk, nothing fell, made any loud noise other than my own body. The pain got to me. It wasn't an odd dream, no odd visualization. This was real. In the most odd way possible. My body still felt awfully numb, and now my right arm was in enough pain for me not to use it. So I barely used it to get back up, trying once again. I needed to respond to the noise, to the chatter, but I needed to be alert, functioning, something had to go right. So I tried once more, I wanted to stand while talking, exercise my body in a way it hasn't felt, especially in a rusted room like this, ugh come on, I got this..

Up.. up.. up..

My legs were shaking. Shaking uncontrollably while my left hand was comforting my right arm, ringing in my ear reaching an all time high during this moment as I was adjusting my feet to finally stand on them, and then..

I tripped.

I fell down to the ground hard and the thump that concurred was deeper than you would think for a body my size. It scared me. It hurt me.

"And you're the one who we were told to be scared of." Amber said in a static-y voice, I heard other voices outside the door but that came through on the radio quite clearly. At least my hearing was working. I think my body was in enough pain to be more awake than last time. At least I won't trip now.

I got up. It was simple this time, it felt natural. I felt numb. Almost everywhere. But I could walk, and that's what matters. I picked up the radio and responded. "Didn't get too much sleep back there."

"Oh, we can tell."

I heard a little bit of laughter and then came back to my senses after being hit with a mental smirk, and then I responded. "What are we even doing?"

A little bit of static hit me on the channel, blasting through that little speaker. And what came next might of been the best thing I've heard.

"We're getting you out of here, Alex. Come on now."

Whew, what a fucking relief. I got myself and whatever the hell I brought with me at that point to the door and gave a faint knock. They opened it, the place was pitch dark but I could count who was there through the purple visors they were wearing. Just divide by two. There were five people in total, I couldn't tell who was who, they all seemed so similar, all related and connected. Like a whole family. But in the wrong place.

"You brought people." I said out loud for everyone, to process in a joking manner. I wasn't through the door yet. I didn't want to step foot away from my horrid safe place. Why, you might ask? Well, it's safe, first of all. And second, I was originally weary about one Octoling showing me where to go or how to survive but it obviously worked. Four, though... that's a little much.

I heard one visor turn off and whoever did that just took it right off of themselves. She then put it on my face, and I started adjusting it. I could magically see in the dark, as my vision was now bathed in purple and black, with lots of grain on the image. It was good enough to navigate. It wasn't good enough to tell who was who. And that's alright, four out of five are wearing the same visor I'm wearing right now anyways. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference at all. Not even if an expert was next to me.

Because an expert would be dead if they were next to me.

Authors Notes

If there is any interest in putting Disregard on AO3, let me know. If you want to find me on there, I'm under the same name, only with underlines instead of spaces due to how AO3 handles usernames.

Well then, that just about sums everything up, and ends this less on a cliff-hanger. Goodbye Alex, and the ten-octo roster. I'll see you flawed bunch someday...